𝑯𝑰𝑫𝑫𝑬𝑵 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵, 𝒂: 𝒕𝒍𝒂

➳ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯: 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦

IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD KIDA MONTHS, WEEKS OR EVEN DAYS AGO THAT SHE WOULD BE TRAINING FOR FIREBENDER, SHE WOULD HAVE LAUGHED IN THEIR FACE. If someone had added that her trainer would be an ex-Fire Nation general, Kida would have shot an arrow right through their shoulder.

There was something so scary about taking the leap, about finally embracing a part of herself that she had always hated. And yet, there was something almost cathartic about it.

At least there would be, if things were to go the way Kida had hoped.

It's been about a week since Iroh first suggested Kida train with him. After their shift at the tea shop (when Iroh also taught Kida how to brew a proper cup of tea), the two would go up to the apartment above that Iroh and Zuko shared. As it turns out, Kida might be a skilled archer and swordsman, but to say she isn't a capable firebender would be generous. So far, Kida nailed the breath control and fighting stance exercises, probably thanks to her other training. But when it came to working with an actual flame? Nothing. Literally nothing. And that frustrated Kida beyond belief.

"Patience, Kida," Iroh insists, when the girl lets out a frustrated groan after her fifth failed attempt to produce a flame in her palm.

"I don't get it," Kida grumbles. "I've done it before." She falls to the ground with a defeated sigh. Kida swears that she can see Zuko smirk from his spot in the corner. He has picked up the habit of lurking during these training sessions and Kida can't help but think he has been judging her the whole time.

Iroh sits down calmly next to Kida, and strokes his beard thoughtfully. "You have? When?"

Kida clears her throat. "To save my brother from Zhao. And then again to save Aang from...." she trails off as she shoots a glare towards Zuko. He looks back to her with an equal amount of disdain. "Let's just say that both times, it ended badly."

"That's an understatement," Zuko scoffs. "I've seen children with better technique than you."

"Well, I'm sorry that I didn't grow up in a fancy palace with people to brainwash me into becoming some mindless Fire Nation soldier," Kida snaps.

Before Zuko can respond, Iroh jumps in. "Both of those moments were ones of desperation and fear. You felt helpless, like you didn't have any other choice."

"Isn't that the point of learning to bend? Kida asks, tilting her head. "To have something to do in moments like those, when there's no other option?" Kida chooses to ignore the way that Zuko rolls his eyes at her question.

Iroh shakes his head. "Bending is about so much more than that. Fire bending in particular is about energy and power. More importantly, it's about drive. What is your purpose in life? What drives your inner fire?"

Both Kida and Zuko fall into a contemplative silence, which doesn't go unnoticed by Iroh. Iroh looks between them, as though he were putting together the pieces of a puzzle the others in the room have yet to solve. After a moment or two, Kida thanks Iroh before leaving in a hurry.

"Frankly, I still don't understand why you bother, Uncle," Zuko states, after Kida is gone. "She seems like a lost cause."

Iroh raises his eyebrow at his nephew. "You realize that your father said the same about you."

"That's not the same and you know it," Zuko grits through his teeth.

Iroh shrugs. "I think that you two would get along if you tried. You might have more in common than you think."

»»---------------------►

"HEY," MIKA GREETS WHEN KIDA GETS HOME. The former had already eaten dinner and was currently working on some sketches for her art class. "How was your day?"

"It was okay," Kida says. "Still can't firebend. How was your day?"

While Mika goes on to describe her afternoon classes and trip to the market, Kida is still thinking about what Iroh had said earlier.

"Kida?" Mika calls, bringing the girl in question out of her thoughts.

"Yeah? Sorry," Kida says, clearing her throat.

"It's okay," Mika assures. "I just wanted you to know that I saved you some dinner. Here."

Mika slides a bowl of food in front of Kida, the latter smiling back and thanking her. There was something so generous about Mika's gesture that warmed Kida's heart. If she was being honest, Kida wasn't too sure about Mika at first. But, after a while, Kida has grown to appreciate the girl, who proved to be sweet and kind and thoughtful, but not so talkative that it exhausted Kida after an already long day. Mika was just the type of person Kida needed at this moment in her life, and she was grateful to have met her.

"Hey, Mika?" Kida asks. Mika hums in response. "What drives you?"

Mika looks up from her sketchbook, tilting her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Like, what is your purpose in life? What makes you want to go on, doing what you're doing?"

"Huh," Mika replies. "I .....I don't know." She looks down at her drawing, almost sadly, then back up to Kida. "What about you?"

Kida sighs and replies similarly, but can't help but let her thoughts spiral. What is Kida's drive? For the longest time, the only thing she wanted to do was protect the people she loved, and to avenge her family, and to bring honor to their memory. But everything that has happened these past months has most definitely derailed that. Sure, she still wants the war to be over, but Kida no longer knows what part she can play to help. Restoring balance to the world would be nice, but when she tries on her own, people get hurt. When she tries with a team, well...Kida fucked that one up, too. She had her chance with team Avatar. Aang, Katara and Sokka are probably better off without her. They're meant to save the world and she knows they can and Kida wishes that would have brought more closure than it does.

Still, she wonders where they are now, and if they think about her from time to time, the way she does about them practically every day. 

»»---------------------►

author's note! 

hey everyone! im feeling (a bit) better, so im hoping to be more consistent with writing + publishing chapters. i've already started the next one, so expect that soon :)

thanks for reading + continuing to support this story, it means the world.